DEC - Export Business Assistance For Ohio Companies

District Export Councils (DEC) are organizations comprised of business leaders from local communities, appointed by various United States Secretaries of Commerce, whose knowledge of and expertise in international trade provide a source of professional advice for their regions’ local businesses. Closely affiliated with the United States Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Centers and the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, the fifty-nine DECs throughout the country support the Government’s export assistance efforts.

Currently, there are approximately 1500 DEC members who volunteer their time and specialized expertise to assist small and medium-sized businesses in establishing and increasing their export business. This partnership helps promote America’s economic growth by creating new and higher paying jobs in their communities. DEC members also sponsor and participate in numerous trade promotions activities, as well as advocating for effective trade policy positions.

The Ohio District Export Councils created this website to give export companies an all-inclusive resource for international trade-related events in the Ohio and Northern Kentucky regions. This calendar contains training opportunities, geo-political events, and networking opportunities for not only Ohio companies, but those in the Northern Kentucky region, as well. We welcome you to our website and encourage your participation in the listed events.

In addition, DECs play a major role in the planning and coordination of export activities for their communities. As a lead organization serving the international business community, DECs have the capacity to facilitate development of an effective export assistance network and can assist in coordinating the activities of trade assistance partners to leverage available resources. DECs also serve as a communications link between the business community and the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, and support the export expansion activities of the U.S. Commerce Department in a variety of ways within their communities.

While DECs are a creation of the U.S. Government and individual DEC members receive governmental appointments. Neither DECs nor DEC members represent the U.S. Government in their capacity as DECs or as DEC members, respectively.

The DEC Mission

District Export Councils encourage and support exports of goods and services that strengthen individual companies, stimulate U.S. economic growth and create jobs. Export expansion activities are accomplished by working with the U.S. Export Assistance Centers to provide opportunities to promote greater export activity at the local level while developing a trade assistance network.

The mission of the District Export Councils is supported through activities such as:
• Counseling and mentoring of local businesses in exporting;
• Identifying export financing sources for businesses;
• Creating greater export awareness in the business community locally;
• Identifying issues affecting export trade and implementation of suggestions for improvement;
• Advocating trade policy and legislation supporting exporters and the U.S. export sector;
• Supporting programs and services of the U.S. Export Assistance Centers;
• Building local export assistance partnerships with other trade-related organizations;
• Providing export training and education through Export University® programs

While DECs and individual DEC members engage in legislative advocacy and outreach regarding trade issues, DEC members are prohibited from being registered lobbyists and neither DECs nor DEC members engage in any activity which requires lobbying registration.